Ala. Code § 31-2A-51 (1975) (Article 51.) Voting and Rulings

• Library: Alabama Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with legislation from the 2023 Regular and Special Sessions.
• Year: 2023
• Citation: Ala. Code § 31-2A-51 (1975)

(a) Voting by members of a general or special court-martial on the findings and on the sentence shall be by secret written ballot. The junior member of the court shall count the votes. The count shall be checked by the president, who shall forthwith announce the result of the ballot to the members of the court.

(b) The military judge shall rule upon all questions of law and all interlocutory questions arising during the proceedings. Any such ruling made by the military judge upon any question of law or any interlocutory question other than the factual issue of mental responsibility of the accused is final and constitutes the ruling of the court. However, the military judge may change the ruling at any time during the trial. Unless the ruling is final, if any member objects thereto, the court shall be cleared and closed and the question decided by a voice vote as provided in Section 31-2A-52 (Article 52), beginning with the junior in rank.

(c) Before a vote is taken on the findings, the military judge, in the presence of the accused and counsel, shall instruct the members of the court as to the elements of the offense and charge them with all of the following: